Posts Tagged: Gisele Bunchden Cleopatra

It’s been two thousand years since her existence yet Cleopatra is still in vogue, as proven by the fact that both Heidi Klum and Gisele Bündchen stole her style this Halloween!

Heidi recently posted a sneak preview of her glamorous Cleopatra costumeon her website but is yet to showcase the outfit properly. Due to Hurricane Sandy, the former Victoria’s Secret model has postponed her 13th annual Halloween bash until nearer Christmas so unfortunately we won’t be seeing her in costume until then.

I know, I know – hardly the most tragic outcome of Frankenstorm. But still, in the absence of Heidi’s Egyptian getup, I was glad to see Gisele unveil her own Cleopatra-inspired makeover! Gisele, who is also a former Victoria’s Secret model, posted a picture on her official Facebook fanpageon Hallow’s eve. Have a look:

With aqua blue eyeshadow, thickeyeliner and beaded braids, I think Gisele looked every inch the beautiful pharaoh. Needless to say her vibrant makeup was also informed by Elizabeth Taylor’s look in the 1963 film Cleopatra.

Speaking of Cleopatra’s surviving style, I’m fascinated by the way Egyptian makeup has evolved over the centuries yet retained its original character.

It’s a testament to the Egyptians’ fashion sense that their ancient style has withstood the test of time; you still see it everywhere, permeating society in the subtle shape of winged eyeliner, thick eyebrows, lustrous highlighters and luxurious eyeshadows.

And at Halloween, it comes back to haunt us in its full, dramatic form, with ladies all over the world (Victoria’s Secret models included) donning gorgeous Cleopatra costumes!

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (image: portable.tv)

Yesterface fact: Kohl was used to protect the Egyptians’ eyes from infection, deter flies and deflect the sun’s glare!

About

Blogger: Heledd Williams

Welcome to my blog, Yesterface! Dedicated to the beauty, origins and ongoing history of cosmetics, here at Yesterface I look at the way in which make-up style, cultural trends, and beauty products all adapt through the ages. I hope you enjoy the mix of interviews, articles and makeup tutorials, and I hope that Yesterface sheds new light on makeup's foundations!